Dubai Marina is one of the most in demand destinations for real estate investment in Dubai, a new report by Property Finder has found. The report shows that Dubai Marina is the most popular place to buy a new home, followed by the iconic Palm Jumeirah and  Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT).

According to the report, Dubai Marina had 18% of online searches for sale in the last quarter of 2010. This number is much higher than the second place location, Palm Jumeirah, which had approximately 12% of online searches. The Marina also had over 18% of searches for rent, proving how popular the waterside development has become with new investors.

The report also shows that, in general, investors seem to be more interested in buying apartments than villas. Over a third of investors checked the Property Finder website for available apartments, compared to only a quarter who were looking for villas. Two bedrooms were the most in demand, followed by three and four bedrooms, but only a small number of people wanted to buy studios.

It is no wonder that the Marina continues to be a desirable location. The visionary development has a range of world-class shops, restaurants and cafes and continues to be a popular place for residents and visitors, especially on evenings and weekends.

However, some locations have not been as fortunate. According to the report, the least popular location for buyers seems to be Jumeirah, which had less than 2% of online enquiries. This is in line with the report’s findings that buyers are now more interested in buying apartments than villas. Other locations which had less demand include Silicon Oasis, Green Community, International City and Dubai Land, which have all been less active in recent months. Property Finder continues to monitor these market trends.